Despite my promises to come back to you last week, I have been painfully battling with a computer that decided to go to greener pastures. It has taken me a little while to get all of my files and photos backed up and onto another desktop to be ready to blog.
But here I am, and I think I am finally ready to do a post making you all completely jealous of the lucky 32 of us who travelled to Vietnam last month. And jealous you should be, because it was simply amazing!
This may be a little photo heavy, but I hope that you enjoy having a little taste of our first overseas retreat.
The trip began on Saturday the 22nd of October when we all commenced our journeys to Nha Trang, Vietnam. On our arrival at the amazing "Evason Ana Mandara" it didnt take any of us long to fall completely in love with with the stunning resort...
The rooms were perfection, the service out of this planet, and the whole vibe at Ana Mandara was the perfect base for our week of indulgence. The first day we had a fantastic full day tour of rural Nha Trang to get an idea of our surroundings. This truly was an amazing day with so many exciting sights, and experiencess... 
On the second day we started our first class time which was just so exciting!! Leanne, Rosie and I had spent so long preparing the amazing kits and it was overwhelming to see the result of our work. There were tears, laughter and overwhelmed excitement as the girls all opened their case of treasures.... 
Over the course of the week there were four morning class sessions, and when we weren't in class we were living it up and having a ball!! There were new favorite drinks to leisurely sip... 
A trip to the amazing early morning produce markets by cyclo trasportation... 
Followed by a "Master Chef" style cooking class and competition... 
There were just so many amazing sights to see and I think we all fell completely in love with the Vietnamese culture and hospitality.... 
One of the most memorable days for me was our final full day in Nha Trang when we visited the breathtaking XQ Emboidery House. As if just looking at the amazing embroidery wasnt enough, we were lucky enough to arrange some tutoring from the Vietnamese emboiderers which included a small kit for us all to try our hands at their amazing artform. We were completely blown away when we arrived to a ceremony in our honor with all of the local media involved!! We were without words (and unfortunately I have no photos of the ceremony either since Leanne and I were robed in ceremonial dress and made a part of the proceedings)...
Part of the ceremony involved us all signing a piece of fabric which was quickly being embroidered to be framed and put on display in the emboidery house to commemorate our visit. Such an experience and honor!
After this day of excitement we all headed back to the resort to prepare for our final farewell dinner. We had such a special night planned and it was just like a fairytale. We first went for a 1 hour boat ride to the amazing hideaway Island for pre-dinner drinks looking over the most amazing ocean views and then a dinner in a stunningly decorated room that had to be seen to be believed. The perfect way to end the perfect week.... 
All in all I am still completely lost for words to exlain how amazing this trip was. Every second was indulgent, exciting, eye opening and a feast for the senses. I think there was a smile on everyone's face for the entire journey and the trip surpassed everyone's expectations. I know that I for one am holding my breath waiting for our next overseas retreat which will be announced very soon.
A big thank you to all of you who joined us on this journey, it would not have been the same without you; It could not have been any more perfect!
Melly xxx
P.S. The winners of the new pattern giveaway are Maria C, Gay Chilman and Erin. Please email me with your postal address and choice of the three new patterns!
